The Weight of The World
by Sinceritea
Summary: The weight of the world rested on their shoulders...a forbidden relationship as two teens meet everyday, with the common goal of death...ItachiHinata ItaHina ch6
1. Fear

Sinceritea

The Weight Of the World

Fear

The weight of the world...

He had come to settle scores with Sasuke. Finally let his brother exact revenge upon him. He was tired of living. Tired of breathing. Tired of watching his muscles move, of the power running through his veins, of the fear in everyone's eyes-

He didn't know when these feelings had arose. He had a suspicion they had been there forever, when he was first declared a genius and expectations bore down on his shoulders as if he was carrying the weight of the world.

Or the reputation of the Uchiha clan.

He was a sick murderer. He knew it too. A sick, _sick _murderer. But he had his reasons. Everyone had their reasons. Sadly, no one knew his reasons. And he didn't intend for anyone to find out.

For still, the weight of the world bore down on his shoulders. The reputation of the Uchiha clan.

---------

The weight of the world...

She had come to escape reality. She did this so often, she wondered if she was real. If all of that was a dream and all of this was genuine. She didn't know anymore. The line between her dreams and her reality was horridly blurred.

And often her nightmares were just retellings of her life.

Her life came to nothing. Her accomplishments didn't exist. She hadn't made a mark in the world. She hadn't made a mark in anyone's life. She wasn't Naruto. She wasn't Sasuke or Neji or Hanabi.

She wanted to be however.

She wanted what they had. Courage, respect, power, determination, goals-  
She had no goals. Except to one day, escape reality. Permanently.

For the weight of the world was on her shoulders. The weight of the Hyuuga clan.

No matter if they didn't want her anymore. No matter if they wished she wasn't first born. She was part of them and always will be. And she will always be the one who held all the secrets and who was under constant attack, constant scrutiny, constant disproval, constant hatred, disgust, shame-

For still, the weight of the world bore down on her shoulders. The reputation of the Hyuuga clan.

--------

" Who's there?"

She jerked, her eyes flying open, instantly her fingers forming seals and her byakuugan flaring out, scooping the woods.

Her heart beat rapidly and she tried to catch her breath.

A twig snapped and her head snapped with it. She whirled around and stared at her intruder.

And gasped, feeling as if she would faint.

The older brother of Sasuke stood there. The murderer who killed his whole family.

She was frozen. She couldn't move.

" Where is Sasuke?" He said, so softly, she could barely hear. His hair fell into his eyes and his dark eyes were dark and endless. He was indeed handsome as the Uchiha sons were always meant to be.

But the fact that his hands were stained with blood from years and years of torture and murders still remained imminent and she could not move.

She could just be an addition to another murder.

She could hardly talk. Sadly, she wasn't much of a talker as it was, but now under such circumstances, she couldn't string a sentence together. Her brain was as frozen as her body was and she could only stare at him in shock and fear.

His fingers rose and she flinched, scrambling back, inwardly amazed at the fact that she could move.

" D-d-d-don't kill me, please!" She breathed out. Then she halted.

She didn't want to die? Amazement coursed through her and she, for only a few seconds forgot that Itachi Uchiha stood in front of her and instead, wondered at her own decision. She _didn't _want to die. She had always thought that the day she would be killed would be the day of eternal happiness. Finally, she would be released from her pain and maybe move onto a world where she would be....accepted? Appreciated? Wanted? Noticed..

" You're the daughter of the Hyuuga clan. Firstborn, I presume?" He asked, his voice still soft as a cloud.

She nodded, her attention focusing back on the situation at hand. her byakuugan had melted away long ago and she was as vulnerable as a rabbit in front of a hunter. " Y-yes....y-your...Uchiha....Uchiha..."

" Itachi," He provided and she trembled. He took a step towards her and in a second, Hinata knew that he would kill her if he got near to her.

I don't want to die, she thought.

I want to show them all that I can-no I will be appreciated...

Acknowledged...

Finally..

" D-don't come any c-closer!" She stammered out, leaping to her feet and forming the seal again as her bayakuugan arose once more. " I-I swear-you-you'll reg-regret it!"

Inwardly, she wondered why that didn't sound as dangerous as when Naruto said it..

He stared at her. An eyebrow rose and she felt anger course through her. He didn't think she could do win!! Well, she didn't think she could win...but she would go down fighting....

She wouldn't be known as the girl who cowered in fear...

Not anymore..

" You're weak," He spoke. " Weak, yet the firstborn. Are you the heir?"

Hinata gaped at him. " I-I don't th-think so...n-not anymore...he h-hasn't changed it yet....but I-I think it mi-might not be me...I-I'm not strong enough."

" You're not," Itachi murmured. " You're very weak."

" S-stop!" Hinata cried. " Stop s-saying that. I a-already know. B-But you c-cannot kill me so eas-easily. I will f-fight."

Itachi stared at her. " I'm not going to kill you. I want to see Sasuke."

" W-why? So y-you can f-finish a-all of them off?" Hinata said, inwardly shocked at her own boldness.

He looked at her and then said, " No. I want to die. And what better to die from my brother's hands, the boy whose been training to kill me ever since that day?"

Hinata stared. " You want to d-die?"

" Yes."

" Why?"

" Because I'm tired."

" Tired of what?"

" Life."

" B-But....y-you can always change....life allows you to change-"

Itachi looked at her and a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. " Do you, Hyuuga, think that anyone would let me change?"

Hinata stared at him and then he slowly began to walk towards her. She felt herself back away and then her arms rose in defence and she felt her head lower in as she prepared herself for his blow.

And for her death...

" You're a coward," She heard him whisper. " Never. Be. A. Coward."

Then she heard his steps walking away. And then she looked up and watched his back retreat into the woods. And then she felt herself throw up all over the ground, retch and retch until she could not anymore. Then she collapsed and cried.

She was a coward.

And her shoulders lowered even more. As the weight of the world pressed down on her and she was ever reminded that she couldn't raise her shoulders in pride.

A coward. Yet the firstborn in the Hyuuga clan.

Expectations. And she had ruined their hopes. All of them.

a/n: first chapter. i think two or three more. im usually a one shot person. but tell me how the heck am i gonna keep itachi in character and somehow get him to hook up with HINATA? woot.

lol, see ya later,

sinceritea


	2. Again

Chapter Two

The Weight of the World

sinceritea

Again

She had finally stumbled her way back home. Her feet hurt and her eyes hurt even more from the tears they had shed. And her stomach felt queasy and she was still trying to realize that she had just conversed with Itachi, mass murderer Itachi, the man who everyone hated, feared, revenged upon-

Why had he talked to her? Wasn't he smart enough to find Sasuke for himself? Then why had he even bothered to open his mouth and talk to her?

She struggled up the stairs, ignoring the questions from her little sister, the servants that rushed past, the everyday insult from Neji, and collapsed onto her bed.

Her bed had memories of tears, blood and pain. They encompassed her dreams of love, freedom, power.....they held everything she ever knew, wanted, had...

She was a fifteen year old girl whose life was as dead as the bodies that lay underground.

Often, she wished she could trade spaces with them. She wondered if her family would shed a tear after her demise or maybe they would have a huge celebration and Naruto would come and they would laugh over stories of her foolishness and weakness and cowardice-

You're a coward.

Itachi...

His eyes were pools of darkness that she knew didn't have a bottom. He was so mysterious, aloof....dangerous, despicable.....

" I want to die.."

He was going to die. At Sasuke's hands.

She wanted to die. But she had ended up pleading for her life. She knew that she needed to live...to accomplish her needs, wants, dreams-

Maybe she should tell that to Itachi...

Maybe she should warn the Hokage about his appearance..

Maybe....was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Dreaming of the endless pools of darkness that were his eyes.

-------------

He wondered why he had even bothered to talk to her. He had watched her for a while, wondering who she was and why she was dazed. She often had broken into little sobs before staring blankly into space. She sat at the hollow of the tree, her dark blue locks falling over her face, a ninja's headband around her neck. She was covered by a large beige sweater and her pale, colourless eyes giving the impression that she was indeed dead..

He was fascinated. To be honest, to be dead truthful, she had entranced him for a reason he could not define.

And he had talked to her. She was afraid of him....she backed away from him, she stammered, she pleaded and begged him to spare her...

Yet indeed, his thoughts focused on her as he walked silently though the pathways to the Uchiha household.

He paused outside his old household and breathed in the familiar smell.

And remembered how he had killed each one of his family members. He hadn't meant to kill them all. It was only his parents he wanted to kill. But the rest of them had gotten in his way....

Every night, his dreams would be haunted by their dead facse. His brother's devastated face as he screamed in torture at the dead bodies of his parents.

Didn't he realize? Didn't he realize what his parents were doing to him? Didn't he realize..

No...no one had realized. Ever..

Only Itachi did. And only Itachi did anything about it..

His eyes peered into the household. Sasuke was sleeping. The time wasn't right.

He would come back tomorrow..

------

Tomorrow. She watched the bidden forests with fearful eyes. She took tiny steps as she walked towards her place, her hollowed tree, her special place.. 

And wondered inwardly, if he would be there.

If he would be standing there once again. Whispering in her ear, as her heart thumped with fear of death..

You're a coward.

Never be a coward.

She reached the place and her byaakugan activated and she searched for a sign of Itachi.

He was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe dead already....she felt herself fall to the ground and she felt her body sag. If he was dead, then good riddance. He was a murder. He deserved death...

He wanted to change. He could change..

No he couldn't...no he couldn't change, no he was a murderer!

" He can't change...he's a murder...." She murmured, absentmindedly.

" Yes, that I am," a voice answered

She screamed in shock and turned around. No one was there.

Then her head tilted upwards.

He was on the tree branch, his head tilted to the side, watching her. She felt her body began to tremble once more...yet inwardly, she knew that it wasn't completely of fear.

"Y-you came back... again...a-and your not dead..." She stammered, her eyes wide.

He stared at her for a long while. He had a habit of doing that, staring at her with those dark, onyx eyes. " Yes." He answered simply. " It wasn't the right day."

She cleared her throat. " You didn't k-kill me."

" No," He answered. " But I didn't say I wouldn't."

She tensed and shifted. " Why are you t-talking t-to me?"

He stared at her. " I don't know. Stop questioning me. Death is still inevitable. It could be the last thing I do before I die."

Hinata shook, as she knew the truthfulness in his words. He hadn't hesitated to kill his family...why would he hesitate to kill her? He didn't even know her....he didn't even like her...

Once again, the strangeness of the situation hit her and she had to dig her fingers into the soft grass where she sat to prove to herself that it was happening. This was real.

" Why do you stutter?" He asked, quietly.

She jerked. Then his answer sunk in and she whispered, " I'm afraid."

" Of me," He responded, his reply not a question, but more a statement.

" No...I-I'm afraid of ev-everyone..." She replied, her voice low and soft.

With a fluid moment, he jumped down from the tree branch and landed in front of her. Too close. Way too close. She felt her body back away and she stared at him fearfully.

" You are afraid," He said, then backed away a bit. " Fear. That's what you are."

She looked down, feeling ashamed. For some reason, she felt a need to prove to him...prove to him what she had wanted to prove to everyone of Konoha...

" I'm trying.." She said, a clear tremble in her high voice. " I'm t-trying to...to change that..."

" No one can change, " He said coldly. " _No one_."

" I-I don't believe that..." She said, looking up at him. " I don't believe that at all. I will c-change. I will."

He stared at her. She had only stuttered twice and the determination in her eyes struck a chord deep in his chest.

He turned around and said over his shoulder, " You won't change. You'll still be the coward, the useless daughter of the Hyuuga clan...a weakling who isn't even worth death from my hands..."

With that, he walked away, leaving her shaking behind him. Those words echoed in her mind and a few days ago she would've agreed full heartedly. Even now, the words had a truth in it that she could not deny.  
But she would always work towards her goal. She now had a goal, like everyone else. And it was not death.

She wanted to live. No longer was she living to die.

Itachi stood outside Sasuke's house once more...his old house. He watched Sasuke eat silently and saw Sasuke go upstairs and sleep.

Today's not right either, he thought to himself. And with that he turned around and walked off, the girl's words still echoing in his ear. _I will change...I will..._

---------------

Sasuke's eyes flared open and he leapt to his feet, racing to his window. He searched outside fruitlessly, before his shoulders sagged and he backed away.

He was almost certain someone was watching him.

Somebody was watching him.

He sat back down on his bed. He knew that it wasn't one of his fan girls or someone from the city this time. He felt a shudder race down his back.

He didn't know who it was....but he knew it wasn't good...

a/n: Seconnddd Chapter! so there will be two or three more....then itz dun...i think...

lol thanx for ur reviewz and yuppppp im ATTEMPTING (no promises) to keep itachi in character...and not to have three sixty turnabouts which absolutely suck in my opninon...send in comments and suggestions.


	3. Questions

Chapter Three

Naruto

The Weight of the World

Questions

" I-I don't get it..." She murmured into the air as she sat in her hollowed spot once more. She had come back again, almost fearfully, almost anticipating his arrival. She had sat in silence for a while, hoping he would come.

He hadn't shown up yet.

Maybe he was dead....maybe he decided that maybe he tired of the conversations they had or maybe he had gotten offended by her words yesterday or maybe-

" Get what?"

She felt a shock race down her spine and she looked up once more and there he crouched, on the tree branch, staring down at her. His eyes were a deep, metallic black, drawing her into them and drowning her until she could no longer breathe. Once more, she was lost in his eyes.

Frozen, she racked her mind, trying to remember what she had said. " I don't get w-why you k-keep com-coming back," She said, searching his emotionless face for answers.

" I could ask the same of you," He answered, cocking his head and flipping a kunai in his hand dangerously. " You know I'm planning on killing you. You should be gone by now, running away....telling your worthless Hokage of my presence....of my intentions....."

Hinata felt her face burn. She looked away and drew her legs up to her chest, resting her face on her arms. She swallowed down the bile that rose to her throat at his words and whispered, " I d-don't know why....why I'm not saying anything. I don't know w-why you haven't killed me. I d-don't know why I-I'm talking t-to you....b-because you've murdered you're p-parents and l-left S-Sasuke liv-living in h-hell f-for the r-rest of his days..."

He looked at her and she waited with baited breath for his response.

" That's the most you've ever said in one go."

She looked up and he landed on the ground in a quick flash. She flinched in shock." I don't know either," He said, before sitting down across from her.

She looked at him and felt her body hairs raise up. She tensed for any sudden movements...any warning that he might kill her....but she knew deep down, if he wanted to kill her, she'd be dead by now.

And she was planning to live.

" Why h-haven't you ap-approached Sasuke y-yet?" She asked, softly. " Wh-Why aren't you d-dead?"

" It wasn't the right time," He answered.

Her head lowered once more. " Oh."

They were silent for a while and he played around with his kunai. She kept her eye on the kunai, waiting for the time when he would throw it at her heart.

" Why do you come here?" He asked, suddenly.

She looked at him, surprised. Then she answered, slowly, " To evade reality."

" To evade reality?" He snorted. " You mean, to be a coward?"

" You're a c-coward too," She said softly. " You're t-trying to evade reality...by dying."

He looked at her for a long while and she felt herself flush hard. " You don't know anything about me," He hissed. " Didn't your parents ever tell you to be afraid of me? I'm a slaughterer. I can kill you any second I want. I can puncture you with one hole and you'll watch your blood drain out of your body without being able to do one thing about it. I can torture you for three days straight-" He stopped and his shoulders sagged.

Hinata felt fear paralyse her as she remembered what had happened to Kakashi and Sasuke. She gulped and swallowed trying to remind herself why she was doing this. In a twisted way, she was trying to prove to herself that she was strong. She can sit here, in front of Itachi and not be afraid of death.

Right now, however, all she wanted to do was run.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and she felt her face burn once more. Why was she so hot?

He looked at her out of the side of his eyes and shook his head, staring up at the sky." I don't even know why I'm getting so emotional about this," He said slowly and deliberately.

Hinata tried to change the subject. If they persisted on this subject, she may just end up lifeless.

But what could she talk about with him? Her heart's feelings, emotions and thoughts? She nearly scoffed at the thought but her own eyes widened as she heard her voice begin to talk.

" M-my father has given up on me. He t-tried to train me when I was little...but I've n-never had the heart to k-kill or hurt someone else. When I should've been t-training, I was making healing p-potions and poultices. He hated me because I was e-everything he didn't want in a h-heiress. So he moved his a-attentions to Hanabi."

She looked up, apprehensive and he was watching her, not one emotion displayed on his pale skin. " My little sister," She provided and he nodded, slowly, showing that he was listening.

" I've been attacked, over and over since I w-was l-little. Everyone w-wants the Hy-Hyuuga secrets. A-And since I-I'm so weak...N-Neji must protect m-me....but N-Neji hates m-me....and no one a-acknowledges me....a-and I'm w-worthless..." Her voice went quiet, and she could feel familiar tears burning her eyes.

Then she jerked out of her trance. She had just told this all to a man who wanted to kill her. A mass slayer. A heartless killer who had killed his own family, his parents, and ruined the life of his little brother.

She was a traitor to Konoha....but for some reason, she felt so good after spilling everything to Itachi...and she didn't know why...

" Strange," Itachi said, slowly.

Hinata looked up, her eyes anxious. " What's strange?" She questioned.

" Strange....how much you pity yourself."

She froze at his harsh words. " I-I don't p-pity myself-"

" You do. Otherwise you wouldn't come here everyday, crying and sobbing. You wouldn't be afraid and you wouldn't stammer. But you do. Because your selfish. You pity yourself. Your world is centred on the fact that you don't get affection. And all you do is moan and complain and cry. And added to that, you're a weakling," Itachi said, emotionlessly, his eyes steely and cold.

Anger was burning through Hinata and she leapt to her feet. " SH-SHUT U-UP!" She said as loud as she could. And then she turned around and stormed off.

And as soon as she reached her house, she stared back at the woods with absolute shock. She wasn't dead yet. She checked her back and her mouth dropped open shock. No marks, no kunai lodged in her skin, no jutsu-

She had just told Itachi Uchiha to shut up.

She felt herself grow faint and she collapsed on the stairs of the Hyuuga mansion.

---------

Maybe that was too harsh, Itachi thought to himself as he watched Sasuke reading a book on techniques. But it was true. And he had to say it.

He had wondered himself why he kept coming back to that spot. Watching that pale skinned Hyuuga girl talk. He watched her eyes grow big with surprise, sadness, fear, shock....he wondered what she would look like smiling.

Itachi then stared back at Sasuke, who was climbing up the stairs. Maybe now, he thought to himself. Maybe he should appear in front of Sasuke now....invite him to fight....show him a couple of good moves and then submit himself to Sasuke's hits....and then die...

Die for his sins.

But he couldn't. He couldn't make himself move. He watched as Sasuke climbed into bed and went to sleep. Itachi turned around and walked away.

The time wasn't right, he repeated to himself. _Today just wasn't the day....._

a/n: Third chappie...muah ah aha...


	4. surprises

The Weight of the World

Surprises

"Hinata!"

Hinata stopped in the middle of her trek to the market and turned around slowly, apprehensively not actually believing that the voice she heard nearly every day of her life could be calling out to her..

" Hinata!" Naruto smiled widely as he caught up to her. " I've been calling you for hours!"

" No you h-haven't-"

" Well, it felt like hours!" Naruto grinned and put his hands behind his head, walking beside her. Hinata felt her face flush hard and she gripped her bag tighter.

She was more fearful now then the fear that gripped her heart after her meeting with Itachi. She had avoided going back to the place where they had met the day before and she was attempting to avoid going back there again.

But temptation called and she knew she would give in. Even though she had no idea what to expect from Itachi...if he would kill her or leave her alone or-

" Hinata?"

Hinata jerked back to reality and with growing embarrassment as she realized she had tuned out of Naruto's conversation, she flushed hard. " Y-yes?"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow and repeated, " Can you come?"

Hinata felt her heart thump against her chest and she breathed, " Co-come where?"

" To my house. So you can help me prepare Sakura's birthday present!" He grinned and Hinata felt her heart leap and fall, brighten and dull, born and crushed all at the same moment.  
He wanted to talk to her. Involve her in his life...even if it was for another girl...

" O-okay..."

" Great!" Naruto grinned. " Come over to my house around seven, all right? You're the best, Hinata!" Naruto yelled, in his trademark loud voice and after shooting her a thumbs up sign, he was off in the opposite direction, leaving Hinata behind in the dust.

Her heart was beating hard and she rose a hand to her cheeks to check if they were as hot as she felt. Was that moment real?

Then her thoughts turned once again towards the dangerous man in the woods...who came everyday, if only to insult her...but his presence, his whole...it attracted her like a moth to light and she knew that she could never avoid him, never..

And she found herself walking that familiar route to the woods, once more, hardly realizing it and hardly thinking that she could be walking herself to an instant or slow death.

* * *

Itachi sat on the branch, staring blankly at the ground. She hadn't come.

Again.

Why he was waiting here for her, he didn't know. Why he was standing here, not training, not confronting Sasuke, not doing ANYTHING..

He didn't know.

His fingers clenched into the palm of his hand and he fought to keep himself calm. He had come here to die. And here he was, prolonging death...

For his curiosity. This girl...this girl, she...intrigued him, for a lack of a better word. And probably because of the last incident that had happened, where he had probably disintegrated the last of her emotional barriers, she was avoiding him..

Maybe she had already alerted him to the Hokage...but that would be easier then to randomly show up to Sasuke and demand a fight. That way, Sasuke would find out about him and seek him, knowing that he was somewhere in Konoha.

Then a crunch threw him out of his thoughts and his sharingan instantly alerted, looking down. Hinata stood there, eyes wide with fear, looking around herself nervously. She was looking for him..

Then her shoulders seemed to droop and she sat down at the hollow of the tree, fingering the grass listlessly. Itachi stared at her profile, his eyes narrowing. She was a plain sort of girl, nothing glamorous. Her pale eyes were a bit unnerving and she had a nervous outlook that almost screamed timid at the top of its lungs. She was hardly beautiful.

Yet she was...fascinating. Exotic. Enticing.

Then he grinned. She had come for another bout of arguing.

Let it begin then.

With that, he jumped down for his perch and landed in front of her, listening with a satisfied smirk as she let out a squeak of surprise.

Oh she was a weakling. Disgustingly pathetic.

But something kept drawing him back.

* * *

She shrieked, her hands flailing at his sudden appearance. Honestly, she should've expected it by now, but she had been so set on the fact that he wasn't going to show up, that when he did...

It had made her both tense and afraid...yet, relieved and happy.

How such a dangerous slaughterer could arise such contrasting emotions in her...she didn't know.

" Hyuuga," He said, shortly, his eyes glittering with a cold amusement that she knew only too well. Everyone around her had that look in their eyes. Neji, Sasuke, her father...

" You didn't come yesterday."

Hinata fought to keep her breathing under control. She looked at him as bravely as she could and said, " Did I e-ever say that I came here e-everday?"

His eyebrows shot up and even she was surprised at her own comment. He leaned back on his heels and cocked his head, observing her. Then his lips upturned the corner and his expression showed acceptance as he sat back, across from her.

" All right. Fair enough."

Then his eyes grew steely. Hinata felt the hair on her arms rise as he suddenly shot across the distance between them and hissed, low and breathy, " Don't you dare tell me to shut up. One lesson. Never, ever show me disrespect."

Then he was back again, to his normal position. Hinata could not breathe and she noticed, quite belatedly that there as a sharp pain on her cheek. She reached up and touched her cheek, nervously as if any movement she made would cause him to snap and kill her.

Then she realized he had cut her. She didn't notice the kunai, or any movement against her but he had cut her, a sharp, clean cut across her cheek. She wiped the blood off her cheek and looked down at it, almost shocked.

It was a lesson, she guessed. A lesson to never underestimate the situation. She let out a slow breath. He wasn't going to kill her...yet.

Silence stretched between the two of them and Hinata looked at him, curiously.

" Wh-" She started and then stopped. She didn't want a repeat of what had just happened but she wanted to know...Then gathering her courage, she started once more. " Why were y-you waiting f-for me?"

His head jerked at her words and he looked up at her, an expression of confusion clear in his eyes. It was one of those few moments he displayed emotions and Hinata knew she had caught him off guard.

" I wasn't waiting for you," He said, a bit slowly. " I was just bored. I'm waiting around to die, and you're a bit of amusement for my last few breathing moments."

Hinata stared at him. " Amusement?"

Itachi looked back her, challengingly. " Yes. Amusement. That's all."

Hardly knowing what they were challenging each other about, Hinata looked away, nervously. She fingered the grass slowly and breathed. Almost forgetting about Itachi, she felt her body release all its tension as it usually did whenever she came to this spot.

" Naruto talked to me today..." She said quietly, to the atmosphere. " He talked to me..." She gripped the grass strands in her hand tightly.

" Naruto?"

Hinata sat up. She hadn't thought he had heard. " Y-Yeah..." She said quietly, hardly knowing why she was saying this. He wouldn't care..

" I-we wanted Naruto. Well, the demon inside Naruto. But ever since I gave up on all that...I hardly care anymore..." Itachi mumbled off. The effect of the atmosphere was getting to him too and he found himself voicing his thoughts just as Hinata was.

Hinata stared at him and a shiver went down her spine as he voiced Naruto's demon. The nine-tails demon that was housed inside Naruto had been announced only a few months ago, after a devastating fight where Naruto was forced to release the demon. It had changed a lot of children's views about Naruto and she knew the hatred in the town against Naruto was growing...but her love for Naruto had accepted the demon and she thought it hardly mattered..

" You hurt a-a lot of m-my friends," Hinata whispered.

Itachi looked up. Then a smirk played on his lips as he answered, " Obviously. Did you not hear the stories?"

Hinata looked up sharply. " What made y-you do it?"

Silence in the woods seemed to echo and every natural noise seemed to halt. All there was left was silence and Hinata instantly regretted her words as an almost red rage seemed to envelope Itachi.

You weren't careful, Hinata! You forgot he had murdered his own family! His own people!

You forgot...and now you're going to pay...

Itachi inched closer to Hinata, his eyes trained on hers. Hinata felt her own widen with fear and discomfort as he came so close that his nose was touching hers. His eyes bore into hers and he whispered, " Don't ask me that question ever again. You aren't ready for the answer."

His voice was low, dangerous and absolutely ridged with frostiness and a promise of death that she felt herself nod without thinking.

Then without realizing that the words were coming out of her mouth, she said, " It's hard h-having a conversation with you, without fearing that you'd k-kill me at any second."

Itachi rose his eyebrows and then, shockingly, a snicker came from him. Hinata stared as he looked at her in amusement. " That's the risks you take, dear Hyuuga for conversing with a mass murderer," He remarked, smirking in amusement.

" I a-am taking a l-lot of risks talking to you," Hinata said slowly. She looked at him and shook her head. " Didn't you say I w-was a coward? Is t-talking to y-you cowardly?"

Itachi looked at her through dark eyes and an almost genuine smile touched his features. " It isn't cowardly. But don't start thinking you've suddenly become brave. You're still cowardly. You still cry about little things. You still concentrate on the lack of attention you receive. But yes, Hinata, this isn't a weakling thing to do."

Then he launched out and Hinata almost shrieked as she rose her arms out in defence. Moments passed by and Hinata realized that he wasn't going to hit her.

He smirked. " Now THAT was cowardly."

Hinata looked at him in surprise and then acceptance as she smiled, a bit hesitantly. Then she let out a gasp of shock.

" I have to meet up with N-Naruto!" She said, breathlessly. " I a-almost forgot!"

Then with a hurried wave, she was running out of the clearing, with Itachi staring after her. Itachi shook his head. She was getting too comfortable. Forgetting that he was a dangerous person. Treating him like a normal person.

That wasn't good. She was too trusting. Other people could take advantage of that. Next time...it wouldn't just be a cut. He'd have to make sure that she knew exactly what she was doing.

Wouldn't that make her stop coming to this clearing? A voice inside of him remarked. Itachi shoved the voice a way, glaring.

He was going to die soon anyways. No need for any of this talking crap. This was just to pass the days by until the fight with Sasuke.

Whenever the time was right.

He got up and walked slowly through the clearing, heading towards the Uchiha mansion. When he reached a doorway, he realized that he had walked straight...to Naruto's apartment. Leaping back, he looked down at himself, almost shocked.

Why had he come here?

Then he heard footsteps coming towards him and in a quick motion, he was perched on the pole outside of Naruto's home, staring as Hinata, dressed in her normal gear...but without the big, brown jacket, knock on Naruto's door. He saw her wringing her hands nervously as the door opened.

And his own eyes narrowed as he saw Naruto reach out and hug her.

Leaping off the pole and into the night, he didn't take the time to realize what he was feeling or the sense of it. All he knew was that he wanted to hurt someone badly.

Whether it was Hinata or Naruto, he didn't care.

He didn't give two shits.

a/n: this is almost a chapter about those two confronting their own doubts and fears and acceptances of this...correspondance. They've hardly gotten to be friends much less lovers but they are attracted to eachother, which is what draws them back to the clearing every day. Itachi's habit of killing and violence whenever confronted with problems also shows a bit which will be displayed even more clearly in the next chapters. anyways sorry about the long wait, juss sorta stopped writin this story (i told u im a one shot sorta person!) but i have written the next chapters, so all i gotta do is edit and it'll be up shortly.


	5. Anger

The Weight of the World

Naruto

Chapter Five

sinceritea-

Chapter Five

" You got her...Icha Icha Paradise," Hinata said slowly, flushing as she looked down at the latest volume of the graphic novel.

Naruto beamed. " Yup! I asked a lot of girls advice and I came to this conclusion: Girls want what it seems they don't want!" Chuckling at his logic, he set about his messy apartment, looking for a box. " So," He continued, " Sakura seems like she DOESN'T like Icha Icha Paradise, but in actuality, wants it more then anything in the world!"

He danced a little happy dance and Hinata giggled softly. Giving her a thumbs up, he grinned a Cheshire grin. " I'm smart aren't I Hinata-chan? Ne, Hinata-chan?"

" Yes, you are," Hinata said, quietly, smiling as he grinned. She didn't have the heart to break it to him that Sakura might not like an adult novel, especially one that Kakashi was such a fan of. But then again, Sakura would hate it and that would break Naruto's heart..

" Eh...N-Naruto-kun," She stumbled over her words as he trained his big, blue eyes on her. " I don't...think..."

" You want ramen?" Naruto broke in.

Hinata blinked. Where did ramen come in to this...But Naruto was already jumping about in the small kitchen, clanging pots and pans and taking out packets from one of the hugest stocks of instant ramen she had ever seen in her life.

Happiness was tingling across her skin and she gave up on what she was trying to say, and decided to just enjoy the moment. Too many of her days were spent in depression or fear...she just wanted to happy for once. And Naruto made her happy. He had such a bad life...yet seemed to be a bundle of joy that she wanted to emulate so badly..

" Ramen!" Naruto shoved a bowl under her nose and she looked up, surprised. He cocked his head, eyebrows rising.

" You don't want ramen?" He asked, sounding shocked.

" No, no, no, I-I like r-ramen," She stuttered out, nervous at the close presence of her long-time love.

Chuckling, he grabbed his own bowl and began to shovel in ramen at a rapid pace. " Can you believe that some people don't like ramen? Sasuke doesn't like ramen! It's absolutely horrifying..."

Hinata made her way down the pathway , heading towards the spot where Itachi and her met. Her heart was bursting with joy. He had invited her again today, because the day before, they hadn't realized the time flying by and the present still remained unwrapped.  
Hinata had to tell him today that an adult novel wasn't exactly the best choice to get a girl on her birthday, especially a girly girl like Sakura...

She finally reached her tree and sat down, fingering the grass around her as she waited. Why she kept coming back everyday still remained a mystery...every moment she was in the vicinity of Itachi, her life was in danger.

Maybe it was some twisted knowledge inside of her that made her feel like she was worth something. If such a genius ninja like Itachi spent his time talking to her...maybe she was worth something...maybe..

The breeze blew by and she grew tired. The minutes ticked by and after a while, she knew Itachi would not show up. Not today.

Getting to her feet, she searched the tops of the trees for any sign of the Uchiha mass murderer. No sign..

He wasn't coming today. A feeling akin to disappointment swept through her and she made he way back to the village.

She didn't know why she was feeling this way. It was another day that blood flowed through her body and her heart pumped life into her veins. She should be happy...should..

But nothing was as it should be.

Itachi gazed down at the girl from his perch. She searched the skies once last time before her shoulders slumped and she turned and walked back where she came from. And that was when he released the kunai he was gripping so tightly in his hands to the ground. It struck in so deep with enough force to create a small crater around the area it pierced and he felt his fingers shake.

He had meant to kill her.

He had meant to throw the knife straight through her heart. Straight past the pale skin into that beating organ that kept her alive. He meant to end her life right then and there...

But he couldn't. His knuckles went white as they gripped the kunai and he could feel every muscle in his body fighting against his will and he couldn't move...

He couldn't kill her.

He could kill his father. His mother. He killed his whole clan.

But he could not kill Hinata.

" Fuck," He swore, getting off his perch and landing to the ground. Eyes bright red, he punched a tree and it timbered over, falling hard against the neighbouring trees and a loud crack went through the entire forest.

Swearing profusely, he ran a hand through his hair. He would not loose his cool. Tomorrow was another day. Tomorrow he would kill her. Tomorrow, he would watch the blood pour from her body and he would not regret a thing.

.Not a thing..

She went back to Naruto's house.

She came back to the clearing.

He had his kunai ready.

He could not kill her.

She left, once again with shoulders slumped and disappointment clear on her features.

He could not kill her.

What was wrong with him?

" Itachi..." She whispered under her breath as she sat under the tree for the third time in the row. Had he already died? No...the town would be buzzing about the news...yet no one knew of Itachi's presence in the village much less a death.

Getting up, she headed back to the village. Smiling to herself, she took a shower and headed to Naruto's apartment. They had gotten to be good friends through Sakura's present. She had not the heart to tell Naruto that Icha Icha Paradise wasn't the greatest present but she did give him a few hair pins and barrettes she had bought (as an added bonus, she had said) just to make the present a little better.

Maybe he'd realize it on his own? She giggled. Naruto realize anything on his own was quite impossible. He was oblivious and naive...and that's what she liked about him.

Today, he had gone to give Sakura her present. She wondered what the turnout would be..

Darkness was settling fast and she turned the corner, heading towards his apartment. Then she felt her heart begin to thump harder and she felt her senses begin to tingle.

Someone was watching her.

She turned around, her eyes searching the dark shadows fearfully. Should she alert her bayakuugan? Maybe it was just her imagination-

Then something leapt in front of her, and she felt her breath stuck in her throat and she only had time to breath out, " Itachi..." Before she felt the ground rise up to meet her.

The world was swirling. She blinked hard, trying to clear out the images and keep her head straight. The cold air was biting her skin and she felt her hands come up tremblingly to her arms, warming them up. She let out a low moan as she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings.

The familiarity of the arrangement of trees overwhelmed her and she blinked. She was back at the clearing. What had happened? Last thing she knew, she was heading to Naruto's apartment and then..

" Itachi.." She whispered and then, her body seemed to fly up from the ground and she was shoved hard against the bark of the opposite tree.

It was then that she realized a hand was gripping her shoulder, with all the force of ten men and she felt pain begin to envelope her body as his fingers tightened, almost marking the fact that it was there.

" Bitch.." She heard him swear, lowly. " Who the hell do you think you are?"

Confusion and bewilderment was slowly drowning out any thoughts in her head. She fought to keep calm but the silence of the night was roaring in her ears and she could not keep the panic from bubbling up.

She knew this would happen. Conversing with a suicidal mass murderer every night was one thing..

Getting him pissed was another.

" Uchiha..." She choked out. " What-why are you-"

" I asked you a question. Now, girl, you'd better answer it before I put you through three days of torture that you won't be able to survive and that's guaranteed," Itachi swore, his lips close her ears, nearly tickling the skin there. In spite of the danger in his words, she felt heat spread through her body and she wondered, dimly at the feelings that were coursing through her veins.

" I-I-don't know wh-what you're t-talking ab-about Itachi-kun, p-please-"

" Itachi-kun," Itachi laughed, sardonically. Then his expression grew serious. " You fucking think this is a joke. You think that all I'm gonna do is play the happy little bunny and watch you come here every day, crying your fucking brains out without any repercussion at all?"

He bent down, and made sure her pale eyes met his. Then he enunciated slowly, " I killed my parents. Don't you dare underestimate me."

She was breathing hard now, fear evident in her eyes. She whispered, " Itachi...I d-don't underestimate you. I never have. This..." She motioned outwards, ever aware of the red eyes that were trained on her, that every word had the weight of her life mounted upon it. " This...is like a test...for me. I-If I'm w-worthy...if I'm w-worth it...If I can handle talking t-to you...I c-can handle a-anything...this is n-no joke, I-Itachi..."

" Stop saying my name as if you know me," Itachi said lowly. Hinata nodded, numbly, overcome by the dangerous situation.

Any moment, she could die. Any moment, he could kill her. Any moment..

Every moment was precious..

She could feel the anger dissipate from him as he moved away from her and she fell to the ground, weakly. Her hand went to her injured shoulder and she held it tightly, her body curling into itself. Itachi stared down at her, his red eyes slowly disappearing into the dark irises they usually were.

" Shit..." He swore, and he turned around, his hand running through his longish hair. " Lost control..again.."

Hinata knew that Itachi wasn't the type to reveal his emotions or show them at all. That he lost control over such a little thing, Hinata knew was killing him inside.

But what Hinata wanted to know was why...why Itachi would lose control and why this had ever happened.

" Why the hell are you still here?" Itachi was looking at Hinata and Hinata looked up, surprised.

Do you have a death wish? She heard a voice echo within her head as she felt words tumble out of her mouth. " Why...why did you bring me here? Why did you get mad? What is this...all about?"

Itachi stared at her. Hinata felt every bone on her body rattle in fear but she tried to keep it together. Why can't she ever shut up?

" You...you're walking a dangerous line, girl," Itachi said, softly. " Now go home. Before I do decide that blood spillage tonight is just what the doctor ordered."

Hinata got up, tremblingly and then cried out as she fell to the ground, her hands going straight to her head. He had knocked her out and she hadn't recovered. Itachi watched, emotionlessly as she gripped her head.

Then she took stock of her breath and choked out, " I d-don't think that's gonna-gonna happen anytime soon.." Before she had dropped, at that second..

" Should've controlled the chakra in that hit," Itachi mumbled to himself as he watched the girl lay there, unconscious. He turned around before feeling emotions run through his body. Akin to guilt, he turned and looked at her motionless body. Angrily, he stalked over to her and scooped up her body in his arms, quickly making his way to the mansion where she lived.

Only for amusement, he thought. If only, for entertainment of my last living days.

" You were laying outside the gate, when we found you," Her cousin said, coldly, staring down at her judgingly.

She stared at him in shock. " Really?"

" Yes, really."

So then Itachi really did...help her..

A slow smile began to spread across her face and she giggled happily. Neji rose an eyebrow. " What the hell is wrong with you?" He grumbled, as he stepped inside the household.

Hinata twirled, before turning and smiling shyly at her cousin. " No reason," She grinned, before hurrying to gather her stuff.

Today, she had a thank you to carry out.

a/n: Yea late, i kno! lol, thanx for the reviewz.


	6. Chapter 6

Realizations

Neji trained alone out in the forest, his breathing hard and his eyes concentrating on his movements and the chakra flowing through his veins.

But his thoughts were veering off in different directions and Neji stopped, to take stock of himself and to rid himself of the meddlesome thoughts of Hinata.

" Why was she dropped at our house, like a sack of potatoes?" He mumbled. She had been hit, by a strong blow, that was for sure but why would someone return her if they wanted the Hyuuga secrets? Hinata's father had decided not to report it, for it seemed as no one had tried to learn anything about the secrets of the Hyuuga family.

He had decided it was no big deal.

But to Neji, that decision wasn't quite the right one. The look on Hinata's face when he had told her about what had happened the night before was not the expression he had been expecting. He had expected the normal fearful look, the look he had gotten used to over the years.

But she had looked almost...happy.

He realized, soon enough, that Hinata was hardly home anymore. Always off...somewhere, doing something. She hardly looked depressed anymore and seemed to be more...happier, lately.

And Neji was determined to find out why.

----

She walked down the familiar route, a smile playing upon her lips. She had no idea where this bubble of happiness came from...or where the feeling of near tears that she always carried around with her had gone. Touching the leaves on the trees near her, she came closer and closer to the clearing.

__

" You were laying outside the gate, when we found you," Her cousin said, coldly, staring down at her judgingly.

She stared at him in shock. " Really?"

" Yes, really."

So then Itachi really did...help her..

It was absolutely shocking and she wasn't quite sure if she believed it or not. However, she knew that if he did help her...if he did show that much kindness for her..

Then maybe those meetings had grown from each other's selfish needs of a reason to not commit suicide and into something that involved...compassion?

Arriving at the clearing, she looked up towards the canopy of trees and blinked at the sunlight that poured down in blinding rays through the parted leaves.

" Uchiha?" She asked, her voice light. She looked around herself, but no response came.

" Uchiha-san-" She started to say and then her eyes grew wide, instantly.

Her heart stopped.

And then her hand carefully went to her bleeding cheek. She brought her hand to her eyes and she stared at the blood dripping off her fingers in shock.

Instantaneously, her mouth opened, a scream about to erupt. But before she could, a hand went around her mouth and flung her to the ground, harshly. She hit the ground hard, and she could feel her knees scraping against the roots of the trees and the rocks on the ground.

Frantically, she looked up and her scream of terror caught in her throat. _Itachi_, she thought in her mind.

It was Itachi.

" You're just a shitload of stupidity aren't you?" Itachi hissed, his red eyes angry. His dark hair blew back from his face as the wind seemed to blow more harshly than before. " First, you come in here without a sliver of fear in your heart. Next, you call my name! It's hard enough creeping around here without anyone noticing I'm here, without you calling out my fucking name."

Hinata could not breathe, much less respond. She just stared at him, fear clear in her white eyes. A slight tremor went through her as she realized how much he was revealing to her.

Itachi brought Hinata's face close to his and whispered, an almost desperate tone underlying his voice, " Fear me. I'm a murderer. _Fear_. _Me_."

Hinata's fists clenched and her first instinct was to nod, agree, anything to keep from dying at his hands. But their conversations, his eyes, the fact that she had showed up at the gates yesterday instead of in her grave ran through her mind and tears began to burn in her eyes.

__

Murderer...

" I don't want to."

Itachi's eyes widened by a slight measure. Hinata felt a pain ricochet from her arm and she felt blood drip down her arm. He had cut her again, this time on her arm.

__

Killer...

" What?" Itachi hissed.

Hinata felt vomit rise to the back of her throat and the tears began to fall down her cheeks. But she kept her white eyes trained on his red ones and she gathered her strength and whispered, " I don't want to fear you."

He stared at her for a few more seconds and then he let go of her, violently, before disappearing into the canopy of leaves above her. He left Hinata, dripping with blood from her two cuts, and shaking like mad.

What the hell is wrong with you, she thought to herself. When did you ever think he would do anything out of kindness? He's a murderer, as he seems to rectify everyday. He killed his own family.

__

Slaughterer...

His own family...

Struggling to her feet, Hinata closed her eyes. But she had already put her mind to it. No matter if death would come her way, she had already put her mind to it.

__

No...

She would prevent Itachi from dying. She would find out the real reason he had killed his clan.

She would...

----------

Itachi sat, curled into himself, staring blankly at the stone wall in front of him. The waterfall crashed around him but he sat there, in the cave, listening to nothing but his memories.

These emotions...

Over these years, since he had murdered his family, he had kept a certain block against emotions. He had kept himself cold and with this coldness, came a willingness to kill. He didn't have guilt, so therefore, killing came easy. The only times his guilt would show were in his dreams.

His _constant _nightmares.

But since he met that girl...the Hyuuga girl, she had released that valve, that wall that blocked his emotions. With her words of innocence, with her tears and her sincere statements, she had...literally amazed him into feeling. Into melting his barriers and...the emotions came crashing and he lost control.

Now, he was hiding himself from the city's ANBU and prolonging the days till his death.

Because of her.

All because of her.

These thoughts overcame him in the morning and when she had come to his clearing, her eyes shining, the fear dissipated from those white orbs, fury enveloped him in a red curtain and he wanted to hurt anything, everything.

He never grew weak.

He never lost control.

Except around her.

And he wanted to make her pay for it. Make her pay for what she had done. But her words now echoed in his head..

I don't want to fear you..

And he didn't know what to do. He was a fuckin murderer. Last time he checked, that made him a disgusting, despicable outcast. He didn't care. He didn't give a shit what the world thought of him. When the guilt was too much, he'd get killed by the one person he did care about in the world.

He didn't want that one person to multiply. He didn't want to care about anyone else. He didn't want to wrought pain and anguish on ANYONE else. All he fuckin wanted to do was die.

He was a slaughterer and a sinner and that's all he was.

Not someone...

Not someone who was important to anyone..

------------

Hinata stumbled home, walking down the streets in shock. She had no idea what she had thought. Maybe she had thought Itachi had begun to care about her? Care about her...and maybe she had thought...that whatever the heck she was feeling...wasn't just...one sided..

She didn't love Itachi. That was for sure. She loved Naruto-kun with all her heart, soul and mind. But Itachi...Itachi scared her. He scared her, but not the way everyone else did. He was keeping her alive. He hadn't killed her. And she was...curious to know why. Maybe there was something worthwhile in her, that was making him keep her alive. She wasn't stupid. She knew that if someone was weaker then him, he would have a reason to keep them alive.

She had done and said enough for Itachi to have reason to kill her.  
Yet he still hadn't.

He kept giving her shallow cuts, as if trying to convince himself to plunge it deeper, end her life...but he never did. He was keeping her breathing, keeping her heart beating and she wanted to know..

What it was..

That kept him from killing her...

Maybe she really was worth something. Maybe he did see something, some sort of strength...maybe...

" Hinata?"

Hinata jerked out of her thoughts and looked up, nervously. Kurenai-sensei was standing in front of her, red eyes shocked.

" Why are you bleeding?" She asked, the tone of her voice both worried and angry.

Hinata blanched. " Uh...ano...um.."

" Hinata? Why are you bleeding?" Kurenai-sensei asked once more, this time, the tone of her voice softer and more kindly.

Hinata looked down. " I was-t-training."

" Training?" Kurenai-sensei stared at her.

Hinata nodded, quickly. " I was training a-and I h-hurt myself...i-it's nothing r-really, j-just some shallow c-cuts.."

Kurneai-sensei said, shortly, " Look at me."

Hinata looked up without thinking and Kurenai-sensei stared at her. Then she said, heavily, " Alright then. I'll see you later, Hinata."

Hinata nodded, a relieved look on her face as she scurried away. Kurenai-sensei looked after her, shaking her head. The girl was lying. Usually, Kurenai would not interfere or even wonder, because Hinata did lead a life that wasn't quite the usual..

But this time...

There was something up.

-----------

She really was absolutely dumb.

She was back.

Dumb as a sheep, he thought sardonically to himself. Shaking his head, he watched as Hinata walked into the clearing, her eyes searching fruitlessly.

Then his eyes widened, by a fraction as she turned on her byaakuugan. Quickly, he muttered a technique that blocked his chakra flow but it seemed that her bloodline was better. She turned to his direction, but shockingly, didn't say a word.

She turned off her byaakugan and then sat down, at her usual tree, leaning back against the bark. He looked, curiosity getting the better of him, as she fiddled with the bandages around her arm. A small bandage was on her cheek and he growled.

He should've killed her.

But he never could.

You're growing weak, a voice inside him thought. Itachi shoved it away and leaned back against the tree branch. Then he nearly fell out of it as she began to speak.

" Uchiha-san?"

Again, with that damned familiarity! He prepared a kunai, ready to throw it at her throat when she continued.

" I apologize for my behaviour yesterday. I o-overstepped my boundaries," She said, the same soft voice that he had begun to familiarize himself with.

Itachi stayed silent however, his eyes narrowing at the girl. A fool, that's all the stupid girl was, he thought viciously.

The pale eyed girl sighed and she shifted, fiddling with the grass on the ground. Then she whispered, " Why did you kill your family?"

Itachi's eyes widened. The nerve-!

Then the girl said louder, " I-I guess I'll leave then. Bye...Uchiha-san..."

Getting to her feet, she walked away and Itachi watched her go, staring at her vulnerable back, the route that led a kunai straight to her heart, so many ways to kill, so many ways to murder-

Yet he let her go, breathing, heart beating, blood flowing...he let her go and his body seemed to fall into itself with the exhaustion of emotions and he could not believe he was letting himself...turn into..

-----

Naruto stared at the rejected gift in his hands. Looking up, he watched as Sakura squealed over Sasuke as the stoic boy walked stonily to wherever loser guys like him went to.

Then Naruto looked back at the present in his hands and felt a burning pain in his heart.

" Ahhh!" He screeched. " Sakura-chan, why did u reject me?"

" Naruto-kun?"

The voice behind him made him jump, startled. Then he turned around and his eyes took in the form of Hinata, who was staring at him curiously.

" Ah, Hinata-chan!" Naruto grinned, widely, quickly whipping the present behind his back. " How are you doing today?"

He scratched his head in feigned innocence and Hinata smiled, softly.

" Naruto-kun, I-I'm sorry she didn't a-accept your p-present," Hinata said, her voice quiet and that light stammer making itself known.

Naruto shook his head wildly. " It's okay, it's okay Hinata-chan! I'm sure if you gave it to her, she would've loved it! It's not your fault!"

Hinata looked at him, and shook her head softly. " Oh, Naruto-kun. T-tell me i-if-" The blush on her cheeks that Naruto thought might've been permanent, deepened as she continued, " -if...you ever want to h-hang out sometime, t-then you know w-who to call."

She blushed even deeper and with a slight wave, she turned around and walked away. Curiously, Naruto watched her go, and then chuckled to himself.

" Hinata-chan is so weird, ne?" He said to himself. And then his eyes blinked.

What if...what if Hinata liked him?

He stared at her retreating back and recalled her question.

Wasn't that like...asking him out on a date!

Shock flowed through him before a smile broke out onto his whiskered face. " Hinata-chan must like me!"

a/n: Anyways, so this is the latest chapter, sry bout da delay. And some of ya were sayin it was goin too fast and remember, the romance hasn't...kicked in yet. They first gotta get to bein comfortable around eachother so dunn worry:D

bye,

--sinceritea


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